Clinical Trials, U.S.: Solid Tumors

Cancer arises when a cell starts to divide in an abnormal, unregulated way and ends up forming a tumor. Solid tumors are defined as masses of abnormal tissue located in soft tissues or in organs devoid of fluid cysts. Harmless tumors do not contain cancerous cells and are therefore called benign, whereas dangerous tumors bear cancerous cells and are called malignant. Depending on where in the body they grow, tumors are called “solid” or “liquid.” More than 80 percent of all cancers are caused by solid tumors arising in a tissue, an organ, or a gland. Common sites for solid tumors are lungs, breasts, colon, prostate, brain, pancreas, skin, uterus, and liver.

With the growing incidence of cancer in the world and in the United States, ...